Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Egao ❯ Smile ( Chapter 1 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Elsewhere 
Rei and Asuka go Christmas shopping.
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 03.27.2005 | Updated On: 03.27.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 1.2K | Status: Completed
Rei and Asuka go Christmas shopping.
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 03.27.2005 | Updated On: 03.27.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 1.2K | Status: Completed
Fandom: Shin Seiki Evangelion
Pairing: Rei/Asuka
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. Boohoo.
Spoilers: Minimal.
Note: Advent Calendar Day 1: December 1st
Theme: Christmas Shopping
Egao
By Elsewhere
elsewherecw@shaw.ca
Summary: Rei and Asuka go Christmas shopping.
*****
It started out innocently enough. Rei approached Asuka in the locker room after a routine test run, and asked her if she'd done her Christmas shopping yet.
"No; should I have?" Asuka had snapped, as usual annoyed simply to be in the smaller girl's presence.
Rei had replied that she was going to do her shopping that afternoon, and would Asuka like to come along?
Asuka's first reaction was one of indignation, that Rei would ask her to tag along like some sort of child. Then she decided to reply as rudely as she could, to make it clear that she had no interest in going shopping with a *freak*. But before she spoke, she actually stopped and thought about it, and realized that there wasn't really any reason to say no after all. This way she could get out and get her shopping done right away, instead of leaving it until the last minute, something she was sure that idiot Shinji would do...and she certainly wanted not to sink to *his* level.
So she agreed to go, and was surprised when Rei gave her a warm smile and said she was looking forward to it. It left Asuka off balance all afternoon, that smile. Rei simply wasn't a person who smiled, especially not like that, as though Asuka had just done her some tremendous favor, or done something so wonderful it had changed her life and made it something to be happy about.
They left in the evening, after the city had risen from below the concrete, and rode the subway into the downtown core of Tokyo 3. Rei remained quiet for the entire journey, just as usual, and Asuka had nothing to say to her, so she sneered in silence.
They stopped at the only department store left in Tokyo 3, where the store owners had made only a vague effort at showing the Christmas spirit. Old, torn bangles and streamers hung over the doorways, and the windows were smudged with spray-on snow. Asuka's lip curled at the tastelessness of it; she'd never seen anything so shameful in Germany. Of course, she was surprised that the Japanese were civilized enough to celebrate Christmas.
Once they were inside the dimly-lit store, quietly blowing on their hands to bring the circulation back to them, Asuka had the immediate urge to ditch Rei and go off on her own. But she didn't have anywhere to go; she had no idea what to get people for Christmas, and she didn't see how wandering aimlessly with another person was too terribly different from wandering aimlessly by herself.
"I thought," Rei said in that unnervingly calm, quiet voice that drove Asuka insane, "that I might buy some music for Shinji."
Asuka gave her a blank, if somewhat irritated look in return, so Rei explained: "He's always listening to the same tape over and over. Maybe he'd like some new music."
"Oh...maybe," Asuka answered, then rolled her eyes as soon as Rei started walking ahead of her.
The electronics and multimedia section was abysmally tiny, with only two shelves of CDs and tapes. Rei looked through them with a deadened look on her face, and Asuka moved around between the aisles, looking at the merchandise and wondering how people here could live on such shoddy stuff. Everything there was obsolete by German standards.
"Do you think he'd like this one?" Rei asked, startling Asuka out of her thoughts.
"You startled me!" Asuka said curtly, frowning at Rei, who merely impassively held out the mini-tape in her hand.
"I asked if you think..."
"I know what you asked!" Asuka snapped, forcefully grabbing the tape and glaring down at it. It was a selection of orchestral music, composed by musicians long dead, and performed by orchestras that no longer existed.
"It's very...old," Asuka said, looking down her nose at it.
"Shinji-kun likes old music," Rei said simply, and Asuka glanced at her with a measure of disbelief before carelessly tossing the tape back towards her. Rei caught it easily.
"Whatever. I'm going to look around over this way," Asuka said, turning away before Rei had a chance to answer.
She was wandering through the book section when Rei caught up with her, a large bag swinging from one hand.
"What's all that?" Asuka asked, pointing at the bag.
"Shinji-kun's present, Ikari-sensei's present, and your present," Rei listed off as though by rote.
"What? You got me a present?" Asuka blinked at Rei as though she was crazy.
"Of course," Rei said, unfazed.
"Hmph," Asuka said, because it was all she could think of to say. Now she felt odd...she certainly hadn't planned on giving Rei any gifts. After all, they didn't get along, did they!? But now it would seem strange if she didn't get her anything.
She kept looking through the books, pretending not to be as confused as she was. Eventually she found one about science that she thought Shinji might be interested in, and a book that looked perfect for Kaji. She wandered around the next few aisles, still mulling over her problem, when she nearly ran straight into the one occupying her thoughts.
"What are you doing?" she said sharply, as Rei glanced up, evidently unconcerned by the fact that she'd almost been knocked over.
"Nothing," Rei said earnestly, but it was obvious, in fact, that she was doing something. She was staring as though entranced at a small snow globe, small enough to fit in the palm of her own delicate hand. Inside the snow globe was a tiny scene composed of minuscule crystalline angels and fluffy cotton clouds.
"What's so great about it?" Asuka asked callously, reaching and grabbing the snow globe. She gave it a violent shake, and held it, looking at it skeptically, as the little flakes of fake snow within it rained down over the tiny angels.
"It's pretty," Rei said, also staring at the globe as the snow danced through the water, gliding softly over angel wings and gently through porous clouds. "It's peaceful. They look happy."
Asuka looked up, prepared to look askance at Rei for this utterly brainless answer, but found herself instead staring open-mouthed at Rei, who was standing in place, staring at the globe, a wide grin on her face and a pink tint of pleasure heating her cheeks.
/What a simple girl!/ Asuka thought to herself, flabbergasted. To think that anyone could be so pleased by something so insignificant. But the smile on Rei's face was genuine, and so was the pleasure behind it; that much Asuka could tell just by looking into Rei's usually-cold red eyes, now bright with delight.
Again she felt odd, seeing this kind of expression on a face that usually held nothing but a look of the deepest boredom, an attitude of total carelessness towards life. Rei never seemed to care if she was happy or sad, if she even felt these things at all like a normal person; she never complained even if she was bruised and bleeding, always looking on everything with the same empty expression.
To see her so animated for once, smiling as though the dark world around her had brightened, gave Asuka pause. She felt constricted somehow, and she had the odd feeling that if only Rei would look like that more often, Asuka might find her a more interesting person.
After all, there was nothing that might be called 'joy' within Asuka...perhaps that was why it was compelling to her to see it in others.
Slowly, the smile faded from Rei's face and she took the globe from Asuka, resignedly placing it back on the shelf. Asuka felt the odd feeling intensify; she felt let down, somehow. And in that moment, she knew exactly why.
Wondering to herself whether she'd gone crazy, she reached out and picked up the snow globe again, gently this time.
"Come on," she said quietly, and she was surprised by the remarkably gentle tone of her own voice. "I'll buy it for you."
And that was what achieved it, what she hadn't quite yet realized what she was seeking. That was what caused Rei to look up, her eyes focusing entirely on Asuka as they so rarely did, and Rei smiled: she smiled *at* Asuka, that full, wonderful, warm smile.
Without thinking about it, without questioning it for once, Asuka held up the snow globe and smiled back.
*****
THE END
Pairing: Rei/Asuka
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. Boohoo.
Spoilers: Minimal.
Note: Advent Calendar Day 1: December 1st
Theme: Christmas Shopping
Egao
By Elsewhere
elsewherecw@shaw.ca
Summary: Rei and Asuka go Christmas shopping.
*****
It started out innocently enough. Rei approached Asuka in the locker room after a routine test run, and asked her if she'd done her Christmas shopping yet.
"No; should I have?" Asuka had snapped, as usual annoyed simply to be in the smaller girl's presence.
Rei had replied that she was going to do her shopping that afternoon, and would Asuka like to come along?
Asuka's first reaction was one of indignation, that Rei would ask her to tag along like some sort of child. Then she decided to reply as rudely as she could, to make it clear that she had no interest in going shopping with a *freak*. But before she spoke, she actually stopped and thought about it, and realized that there wasn't really any reason to say no after all. This way she could get out and get her shopping done right away, instead of leaving it until the last minute, something she was sure that idiot Shinji would do...and she certainly wanted not to sink to *his* level.
So she agreed to go, and was surprised when Rei gave her a warm smile and said she was looking forward to it. It left Asuka off balance all afternoon, that smile. Rei simply wasn't a person who smiled, especially not like that, as though Asuka had just done her some tremendous favor, or done something so wonderful it had changed her life and made it something to be happy about.
They left in the evening, after the city had risen from below the concrete, and rode the subway into the downtown core of Tokyo 3. Rei remained quiet for the entire journey, just as usual, and Asuka had nothing to say to her, so she sneered in silence.
They stopped at the only department store left in Tokyo 3, where the store owners had made only a vague effort at showing the Christmas spirit. Old, torn bangles and streamers hung over the doorways, and the windows were smudged with spray-on snow. Asuka's lip curled at the tastelessness of it; she'd never seen anything so shameful in Germany. Of course, she was surprised that the Japanese were civilized enough to celebrate Christmas.
Once they were inside the dimly-lit store, quietly blowing on their hands to bring the circulation back to them, Asuka had the immediate urge to ditch Rei and go off on her own. But she didn't have anywhere to go; she had no idea what to get people for Christmas, and she didn't see how wandering aimlessly with another person was too terribly different from wandering aimlessly by herself.
"I thought," Rei said in that unnervingly calm, quiet voice that drove Asuka insane, "that I might buy some music for Shinji."
Asuka gave her a blank, if somewhat irritated look in return, so Rei explained: "He's always listening to the same tape over and over. Maybe he'd like some new music."
"Oh...maybe," Asuka answered, then rolled her eyes as soon as Rei started walking ahead of her.
The electronics and multimedia section was abysmally tiny, with only two shelves of CDs and tapes. Rei looked through them with a deadened look on her face, and Asuka moved around between the aisles, looking at the merchandise and wondering how people here could live on such shoddy stuff. Everything there was obsolete by German standards.
"Do you think he'd like this one?" Rei asked, startling Asuka out of her thoughts.
"You startled me!" Asuka said curtly, frowning at Rei, who merely impassively held out the mini-tape in her hand.
"I asked if you think..."
"I know what you asked!" Asuka snapped, forcefully grabbing the tape and glaring down at it. It was a selection of orchestral music, composed by musicians long dead, and performed by orchestras that no longer existed.
"It's very...old," Asuka said, looking down her nose at it.
"Shinji-kun likes old music," Rei said simply, and Asuka glanced at her with a measure of disbelief before carelessly tossing the tape back towards her. Rei caught it easily.
"Whatever. I'm going to look around over this way," Asuka said, turning away before Rei had a chance to answer.
She was wandering through the book section when Rei caught up with her, a large bag swinging from one hand.
"What's all that?" Asuka asked, pointing at the bag.
"Shinji-kun's present, Ikari-sensei's present, and your present," Rei listed off as though by rote.
"What? You got me a present?" Asuka blinked at Rei as though she was crazy.
"Of course," Rei said, unfazed.
"Hmph," Asuka said, because it was all she could think of to say. Now she felt odd...she certainly hadn't planned on giving Rei any gifts. After all, they didn't get along, did they!? But now it would seem strange if she didn't get her anything.
She kept looking through the books, pretending not to be as confused as she was. Eventually she found one about science that she thought Shinji might be interested in, and a book that looked perfect for Kaji. She wandered around the next few aisles, still mulling over her problem, when she nearly ran straight into the one occupying her thoughts.
"What are you doing?" she said sharply, as Rei glanced up, evidently unconcerned by the fact that she'd almost been knocked over.
"Nothing," Rei said earnestly, but it was obvious, in fact, that she was doing something. She was staring as though entranced at a small snow globe, small enough to fit in the palm of her own delicate hand. Inside the snow globe was a tiny scene composed of minuscule crystalline angels and fluffy cotton clouds.
"What's so great about it?" Asuka asked callously, reaching and grabbing the snow globe. She gave it a violent shake, and held it, looking at it skeptically, as the little flakes of fake snow within it rained down over the tiny angels.
"It's pretty," Rei said, also staring at the globe as the snow danced through the water, gliding softly over angel wings and gently through porous clouds. "It's peaceful. They look happy."
Asuka looked up, prepared to look askance at Rei for this utterly brainless answer, but found herself instead staring open-mouthed at Rei, who was standing in place, staring at the globe, a wide grin on her face and a pink tint of pleasure heating her cheeks.
/What a simple girl!/ Asuka thought to herself, flabbergasted. To think that anyone could be so pleased by something so insignificant. But the smile on Rei's face was genuine, and so was the pleasure behind it; that much Asuka could tell just by looking into Rei's usually-cold red eyes, now bright with delight.
Again she felt odd, seeing this kind of expression on a face that usually held nothing but a look of the deepest boredom, an attitude of total carelessness towards life. Rei never seemed to care if she was happy or sad, if she even felt these things at all like a normal person; she never complained even if she was bruised and bleeding, always looking on everything with the same empty expression.
To see her so animated for once, smiling as though the dark world around her had brightened, gave Asuka pause. She felt constricted somehow, and she had the odd feeling that if only Rei would look like that more often, Asuka might find her a more interesting person.
After all, there was nothing that might be called 'joy' within Asuka...perhaps that was why it was compelling to her to see it in others.
Slowly, the smile faded from Rei's face and she took the globe from Asuka, resignedly placing it back on the shelf. Asuka felt the odd feeling intensify; she felt let down, somehow. And in that moment, she knew exactly why.
Wondering to herself whether she'd gone crazy, she reached out and picked up the snow globe again, gently this time.
"Come on," she said quietly, and she was surprised by the remarkably gentle tone of her own voice. "I'll buy it for you."
And that was what achieved it, what she hadn't quite yet realized what she was seeking. That was what caused Rei to look up, her eyes focusing entirely on Asuka as they so rarely did, and Rei smiled: she smiled *at* Asuka, that full, wonderful, warm smile.
Without thinking about it, without questioning it for once, Asuka held up the snow globe and smiled back.
*****
THE END